White Paper: Analysis of U.S. Net Metering Policy Changes

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Examining the Impact of Utility Rate Trends on Solar Savings and Design Best Practices

 

Net energy metering (NEM) policies have played a crucial role in making residential solar installations a good investment for homeowners in the United States. However, as installed solar capacity has increased, many utility companies have introduced changes to their NEM programs that reduce the value of distributed solar.

Using Aurora’s proprietary solar financial analysis tools, we conducted a large parametric study that analyzed over 45 million scenarios to determine how these new programs impact solar customers’ savings across the United States. The study analyzes the financial impacts of specific billing mechanisms, as well as the cumulative impacts of different combinations of these mechanisms as implemented by utilities in different states. The policies evaluated slightly diminish the financial value of installed solar but also promote larger system designs in certain circumstances.

2019 NEM White Paper Cover

 

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